Nangong Ao stared in disbelief at the massive doors he had just blown open, his breath shallow and ragged. "Impossible! You couldn't have gotten in here! Did that bitch give you the drill blade, or how else could you have passed every checkpoint?"

Because I burst in so swiftly, the alarms only began to sound now. Nangong Ao had lost nearly half his life in that single strike; he wouldn't last long. So, I ignored him, turning instead to Ximen Yan. "Where is your brother? If we don't hurry, Xiao Yu'er and the others will get worried."

Ximen Yan replied, "He’s in another cell. My father should know where."

In my imagination, the place where Ximen Yan’s father was held should have been extremely high-security. Unexpectedly, it looked exactly like an ordinary prison cell on Earth. A slight exertion of force was all it took for me to snap the iron bars. Ximen Tian stared at me, gratitude etched on his face. "Thank you, young man. What should I call you?"

I said, "Zhao Qian. Zhao as in Zhao Qian Sun Li, Qian as in Zhao Qian Sun Li."

Ximen Yan let out a short laugh. "And you're still joking at a time like this? My father doesn't know the Hundred Family Surnames. Hurry and save my brother."

In the context of this planet’s terminology, the status of Ximen Tian and Madar was equivalent, but I preferred to call him City Lord, as having too many 'Emperors' felt a bit messy. "City Lord Ximen, could you please direct me to where you are holding people? I can't afford any delays; the main force outside is about to launch an attack, and we still have much to do."

Ximen Tian was slightly taller than Ximen Yan. He stroked his chin, nodding approvingly again and again. "Good, good, truly promising for one so young. Come, I’ll lead the way. Yanyan, where did you find such reinforcements?"

Ximen Yan followed behind Ximen Tian. "Father, he is no ordinary surface dweller. He is from an outer planet—the very one you ordered me to assassinate. We also have a contingent of reinforcements sent by the Emperor of the Fishman Kingdom."

Ximen Tian looked utterly surprised. "An alien? The Fishman Kingdom? What are their intentions? Aren't they still at war with the Underwater City? How could they possibly come to help us in this situation?"

Ximen Yan explained, "The Underwater City is gone, and the father and son, Ximen Ding, are dead. Although the Fishman Kingdom won a great victory, they have been invaded by an external force. Now, only Zhao Qian can save them, so they have come to court his favor. Father, it seems the Fishmen's troubles are all linked to the Secret Box. Do you know where the Secret Box is now?"

Ximen Tian didn't answer Ximen Yan. He pointed to the cell before them. "Your brother is right here. Let's save him first."

Rescuing people was trivial for me. This prison was less advanced than even the Fishman Kingdom's facilities; anyone with a little strength could open the cell doors. Of course, I needed a moment to deal with the guards. Though they were all armed, seemingly with some type of firearm, I wasn't sure of their exact lethality, as I managed to kick them unconscious before they could fire. I spared their lives only because I was following Ximen Yan’s 'advice'; the dwarf population was already dwindling, and every one counted.

Ximen Yan's brother appeared to be about seven or eight years older than her, but he was handsome and carried a manly air, though he was quite short. The family of three embraced in tears upon reuniting. I didn't feel it was my place to ask if Ximen Yan had a mother or aunts who also needed rescuing; their silence suggested there were none. As for the Secret Box, if I could retrieve it, fine; if not, I wouldn't press the matter.

Ximen Yan wiped her tears. "Father, brother, let's go. Where is the Secret Box? It would be best if we could take it with us to avoid damage when the fighting starts later."

Ximen Tian stated, "To get the Secret Box, we must go to the Imperial Palace. Nangong Quan dreams of obtaining it, but he has no idea it’s right under his nose."

I said, "I will take you three out first, and then I will return alone to search for the Secret Box. You only need to tell me the location and the method for retrieving it."

Ximen Tian turned to his daughter. "Yanyan, can we trust him? The Secret Box concerns the fate of this entire planet; we cannot afford to be reckless."

Ximen Yan replied, "Father, trust Zhao Qian just as you trust me. Without him, none of us might have survived. Besides, I already mentioned it—he's an alien. Their technology on Earth must be vastly superior to ours."

Ximen Tian conceded. "Very well, I will tell you the location of the Secret Box. It is hidden beneath the City Lord's seat. No one can retrieve it without my passcode, or it will result in mutual destruction. Nangong Quan dreaming of getting the treasure box—humph, he's living in a pipe dream!"

Ximen Tian seemed quite reassured about me becoming his son-in-law, likely due to Ximen Yan’s guarantee and having witnessed my strength. Guards rushed out intermittently on our way, but I swiftly neutralized them all. This speed and power were clearly beyond what any dwarf could possess. Thus, he told me the method for unlocking the safe beneath the seat. He did not mention how to open the Secret Box itself; he figured I could just hand it to him to open when the time came.

With more and more guards rushing in, I pulled Ximen Yan onto my back. Then, with one hand holding Ximen Tian and the other holding Ximen Yan's brother, Ximen Yun, I gathered an energy sphere and shot through the thick rock layers, breaching the surface of the underground city. This feat left Ximen Tian and his son stunned. It was even more impressive than their most advanced drill blade. They didn't know it had drained a significant portion of my energy, but for Ximen Yan's sake, I had to push myself to the limit.

Signaling Xiao Yu'er and the others was proving difficult. It was clear establishing a dedicated communication system for the Twin Stars was imperative. Otherwise, forget dealing with that so-called Creator God; even simple matters between allies required quicker coordination. Having no other choice, I brought Ximen Yan and her father and brother directly back to the large hole we had made earlier.

The path was already cleared. In the shadows halfway up the mountainside, battle vehicles were densely packed. Upon learning that I had safely rescued the prisoners, Xiao Yu'er gave the order to attack. The vehicles shot down from their concealed positions like arrows released from a bow. Following closely behind them, I re-entered the underground city. Since the people were safe, it was time to find the Secret Box. Honestly, I was quite curious about the secrets it held.

Having already learned the location of the Imperial Palace, I now dove straight for it with practiced ease. The appearance of five hundred battle vehicles plunged the underground city into even greater chaos. Their weapon defense systems were incredibly fragile, largely due to Ximen Tian's long-standing neglect of weapons development. But this now worked to our advantage. The light weaponry Nangong Quan had hastily developed couldn't withstand the bombardment from the vehicles. Soon, various key targets fell.

Even before arriving at the Twin Stars, I possessed the ability to glean intelligence from my surroundings using pure consciousness. Now, this capability had been strengthened. So, as I moved, I scouted everything within the Imperial Palace ahead of time. I soon reached the area beneath the Dragon Throne that Ximen Tian had described. Sitting upon it was a small, aged man, likely Nangong Quan. This fellow looked utterly ravaged by indulgence and vice, far from the commanding presence of Ximen Tian.

My sudden appearance in the main hall immediately triggered his panic. He roared, "Seize him! So it's the surface dwellers and the Fishmen attacking us together! They are despicable, shameless frauds!"

The palace guards rushed forward. These were not the same guards we encountered outside. They wielded the drill blades that Ximen Yan had used when attempting to assassinate me—fast-moving and highly destructive. One solid strike from that blade could likely cause catastrophic internal damage. I leaped in front of Nangong Quan, grabbing him to threaten the guards: "Anyone who steps closer, I'll smash them to pulp with one punch!"

Bang! The first guard to charge was instantly turned into a pulp by my punch. This silenced any doubt about my threat. In truth, the guards didn't understand my language; it was Nangong Quan who translated for me. "Don't come closer! Fall back, fall back."

The guards indeed obeyed Nangong Quan’s command, circling cautiously, searching for an opening but refraining from further attack. Nangong Quan addressed me, "What do you want? If you let me go, I can grant you anything. I can offer your surface humans advanced technology, I can even help you assassinate rivals. We can be friends, not enemies."

Slap! I struck Nangong Quan across the face. "Shut up! You’ve occupied this chair for quite some time; it’s time to return it to the Ximen family."

Nangong Quan protested, "What? Are you sent by Ximen Tian? I don't understand. What difference does it make if he is City Lord or if I am? I can serve you better, and what capabilities does that old mule have? Under his leadership, the underground city has fallen so low as to beg the surface dwellers for scraps. I have the confidence and the ability to turn the surface humans into slaves for the dwarves!"

I retorted to Nangong Quan, "The biggest difference between you two is that he has a beautiful and charming daughter, whereas you have an incompetent son."

Nangong Quan was momentarily confused but quickly grasped the meaning. "Oh, so you have designs on Ximen Yan!"

I couldn't be bothered to continue talking with Nangong Quan. I struck him hard on the head with my elbow, knocking him unconscious instantly. I then snatched the Secret Box and flew out. By this time, the Fishmen's battle vehicles had broken through, and the area was filled with highly corrosive toxic mist. Every resisting individual was killed.

We all piled into one battle vehicle. Ximen Tian looked at the conflagration in the underground city and addressed Princess Xiao Yu'er. "Esteemed Fishman Princess, I am immensely grateful for your aid. But, considering they are all my subjects, please cease the slaughter. The dwarf population is already decreasing; if the killing continues, they risk extinction."

It seemed the father and daughter shared identical sentiments. Xiao Yu'er replied, "Very well, I will issue orders for them to minimize casualties. However, if someone steps forward to announce that Nangong Quan is finished and the underground city has returned to the Ximen family, the dwarves might voluntarily cease resistance."

Ximen Tian was delighted. "Yes! A'Yun, come with me. As soon as we show ourselves, the resistance should naturally dissipate."

I agreed. "Alright, I will accompany Uncle. I won't rest easy down there amidst the chaos."

Ximen Yan knew that with me accompanying her father and brother, they would be safe. So, she pulled Ouyang Qian along and took Xiao Yu'er to command the Fishman vehicles—stop the attack as soon as the dwarves stopped resisting, and harm no innocent civilians.

Ximen Tian's authority proved effective. I escorted the father and son pair to the underground city's broadcast center. Through the system there, we announced that they were safe and had reassumed control of the city. Soon, the sounds of fighting throughout the underground city faded. By midnight, the dwarves loyal to the Ximen family began filing into the Imperial Palace to pay respects. By the next morning, Ximen Tian and his son, Ximen Yun, had reorganized their government.

The Secret Box was still with me. I had forgotten to hand it over to Ximen Tian amid the night's commotion. But with Ximen Yan by my side, I wasn't worried about the father and son suspecting me of hoarding it. Besides, apart from wanting to know certain things, I held no interest in whatever secrets of dominance or ultimate weapons it might contain.

Ouyang Qian, Jin Meili, Ximen Yan, and Xiao Yu'er sat around the table, all staring blankly at the device that resembled a mobile phone. Ouyang Qian remarked, "How do you open it? Now that we have it, we should certainly take a look."

Xiao Yu'er said eagerly, "Yes, I’m anxious too! Father said it holds the secrets of the Creator God. Sister Yan, hurry and open it!"

Jin Meili was uninterested in such matters. The only reason she remained at the table was because I was there. She didn't interject, only following my every move with her gaze. I turned to Ximen Yan. "Yes, let's open it and see. We still need to go to the Twin Cities; we don't have much time to linger here."

Ximen Yan shrugged. "It's not that I don't want to, but I don't know how. You all wait here; I’ll go find Father."

Ximen Yan actually managed to summon Ximen Tian, who had been busy all night. Upon meeting, Ximen Tian offered profuse thanks. Ximen Yan told him, "Father, don't be so formal. This is what Zhao Qian should do, isn't that right, Zhao Qian?"

I confirmed, "Yes, Uncle. You don't need to dwell on such a small favor. This time, I hope to take Ximen Yan with me to the surface. I wonder what your thoughts are on that?"

Ximen Tian nodded. "As long as Yan Yan likes it, I won't object. As for the ancestral precepts, with everything that has happened, who can still concern themselves with them?"

Ximen Yan was overjoyed. Ximen Tian’s statement was tantamount to tacit approval of their union. Only, Ximen Yan failed to mention that she was already a concubine of an unknown order. This might mean little to her, but it would likely be inappropriate for Ximen Tian to learn, given Ximen Yan’s status as a princess. However, Ximen Yan didn't want to bring up the subject now. She preferred to give her father a little more time to understand the man she chose, hoping he might eventually agree.

"Father," Ximen Yan asked, "what exactly is inside this Secret Box? Can you tell us?"

Ximen Tian had also noticed the Secret Box on the table. He then addressed me. "Zhao Qian, Yan Yan says you are from an outer planet. Is this true?"

I nodded. "Yes, I come from Earth in the Milky Way galaxy. It’s a place with an environment similar to this one, ruled by people like myself. We are already colonizing neighboring planets and beginning explorations beyond our galaxy. In summary, in terms of society, culture, technology, and weaponry, we are far more advanced than the Twin Stars."

Ximen Tian stated, "Most people are reluctant to believe the concept of aliens, but I know for a fact they exist. Now I have seen you, an alien, with my own eyes. The situation has reached a critical point; perhaps the secret of the Secret Box should be revealed to everyone."

Xiao Yu'er anxiously urged, "Yes, tell us quickly! My father said the Creator God’s next target is likely the dwarf race in the underground city. Besides uniting as Zhao suggested, we must uncover our opponent’s background. Right now, we are in the dark; we don't know who the enemy is or how advanced their weapons are. Our only hope lies in this small box."

Ximen Tian seemed less rushed now. He said, "The surface humans possess no usable weaponry, and the underground city never prioritized military development, leaving us without the means to resist. Currently, the strongest combat force belongs to the Fishmen, so it stands to reason they were attacked first. I heard from my ancestors about the contents of this box. It was said that it must not be opened unless technology reaches a certain level. But once opened, it will not only reveal the secret to ruling the world but also invite catastrophe and the annihilation of our entire race."

I argued, "If things are as Xiao Yu'er's father says, we are unlikely to escape their attack even if we don't open it. We might as well open it and settle our minds."

Ximen Tian stepped forward and picked up the Secret Box. "Follow me. This is not something that can be opened with just a passcode. It is, in essence, a storage device that requires highly precise computer equipment to read the information within. The day before Nangong Quan launched his coup, that equipment had just been secretly manufactured. Now is the time to use it."